Corporate manipulation of environmental health research: A comparison of four industries Jenny White, MSc, MPH Lisa Bero, PhD Dept. of Clinical Pharmacy University of California, San Francisco

Purpose Examine strategies used by four industry groups to manipulate data on health risks in ways that would enhance their credibility and profits. Examine strategies used by four industry groups to manipulate data on health risks in ways that would enhance their credibility and profits.

Four industry groups, four sets of health problems Tobacco industry (secondhand smoke) Tobacco industry (secondhand smoke) Lead industry (lead poisoning) Lead industry (lead poisoning) Vinyl chloride industry (cancer and other diseases) Vinyl chloride industry (cancer and other diseases) The “dusty trades” – mining, foundries, sandblasting and others (silicosis) The “dusty trades” – mining, foundries, sandblasting and others (silicosis)

Data sources Legacy Tobacco Documents Library, University of California, San Francisco Legacy Tobacco Documents Library, University of California, San Francisco( Lead, vinyl chloride and silica industry internal documents provided by Dr. David Rosner, Columbia University Lead, vinyl chloride and silica industry internal documents provided by Dr. David Rosner, Columbia University

Methods Reviewed primary source documents cited in 12 scholarly articles related to tobacco industry manipulation of research – approximately 300 documents total. Reviewed primary source documents cited in 12 scholarly articles related to tobacco industry manipulation of research – approximately 300 documents total. Reviewed all documents provided by Dr. Rosner. Reviewed all documents provided by Dr. Rosner. Coded using Bero’s categories of research manipulation. Coded using Bero’s categories of research manipulation.

Hypothesis The four industry groups used similar strategies to manipulate data on risk, including: Fund research that supports their interests Publish research that supports their interests Suppress unfavorable research Criticize unfavorable research Disseminate favorable research to policymakers and the lay press

Fund and publish research: Tobacco Philip Morris’ world-wide ETS Consultants’ Program – the “Whitecoats”

Fund and publish research: Lead

Fund and publish research: Vinyl chloride Manufacturing Chemists Association meeting, 1/24/1967: Participants agree to fund an epidemiological study of polyvinyl chloride workers which will “hopefully be expected to… confirm that the condition is purely an occupational disease and in no way affects the general public using PVC products.”

Fund and publish research: Silicosis E.R. Weidlein, Mellon Institute, an industry- funded research group, 1935

Criticize unfavorable research: Tobacco

Criticize unfavorable research: Lead “Claims of subtle neurobehavioral effects in children due to elevated BLL are not based on firm evidence; many studies that attempt to link low-level lead exposure with learning disabilities, behavioral problems, attention deficit disorders, and lowered IQ are complicated by multiple confounding socioeconomic and familial factors.” American Council on Science and Health (ASCH) -- funders have included Ethyl Corporation, Exxon, Ford, Shell, Union Carbide, Dow, Monsanto, etc. Posted July 1, 2000

Criticize unfavorable research: Vinyl chloride Deceit and Denial “represents the highest standards of the history profession” – American Historical Association

Criticize unfavorable research: Silicosis

Suppress unfavorable research: Tobacco Lawyer, British American Tobacco, 1963

Suppress unfavorable research: Lead Lead Industry Association, 1956

Suppress unfavorable research: Vinyl chloride Manufacturing Chemists’ Assn., 1973

Suppress unfavorable research: Silicosis

Disseminate favorable research: Tobacco

Disseminate favorable research: Lead President, Lead Industry Association, 1966

Disseminate favorable research: Vinyl chloride “It must be emphasized that the information developed thus far does not yet constitute a body of ‘hard data’ on the totality of the vinyl chloride hazard… The workers who died were exposed to high levels of vinyl chloride for long periods of time. [A] study… conducted by the Dow Chemical Company at its Midland division… showed a general cancer increase among heavily exposed workers (above 200 parts per million on a time-weighted average for an eight-hour day) but none among workers below that level. No angiocarcinomas were found.” President, Society of Plastics Industry, to NIOSH, 1974

Disseminate favorable research: Silicosis

Conclusion The tobacco, lead, vinyl chloride, and silica industries used similar strategies to manipulate research on risk. The tobacco, lead, vinyl chloride, and silica industries used similar strategies to manipulate research on risk. Solutions Transparency: disclose funding sources, roles of sponsor, and financial ties of investigators and critics Transparency: disclose funding sources, roles of sponsor, and financial ties of investigators and critics Institutional bans on corporate funding Institutional bans on corporate funding Complete separation of funding decisions and sponsors (independent scientific panels) Complete separation of funding decisions and sponsors (independent scientific panels)

Explore industry documents:

Disseminate favorable research: Lead President, Lead Industry Association, 1945